Somnium
by where's-waldo-15
Summary: Sirius is dead. Harry knows that - he saw it. So when he starts seeing a familiar shaggy black dog everywhere he goes, he thinks he must be hallucinating. Then there's a new kid at Hogwarts that reminds Harry so much of his Godfather...he's probably going crazy, right? (Not another one of those fics where Sirius is chucked back out of The Veil...promise!) READ AND REVIEW!
1. Missing You

**Chapter 1: Missing You**

* * *

The black German Shepherd shivered against the rain pounding steadily down over him. It was cold, though it wasn't as though the dog wasn't used to it. In fact, it'd grown quite accustomed to it in the weeks of the unusually very rainy weather throughout Britain. Still, the dog really wanted to get inside that warm-looking house and curl up by the fire that his sharp ears could hear the roaring of.

He thought of the fire as he stood hunched in the street in front of the house. There was really no point in trying to find any sort of cover, either. The rain seemed to still go right through it and still make the dog wet anyway. The rain did nothing for the dog's mood. This dog was feeling particularly gloomy, due to the self-important people inside the house. He could practically feel their snootiness and displeasure from outside. Reflecting on it, he supposed that that was the main reason he didn't try to get inside through that window on the first floor where the lock had broken. Although the temperature may have been warm inside, the attitudes of the people there would've chilled it enough to make it pointless. On top of that, he was sure that he would be dragged out by his soggy ear.

It may have been strange that a dog would be having these thoughts, but you see this dog wasn't a normal dog. There was a certain human quality in its eyes, in the way he held himself, that would show to anyone who cared to look that this German Shepherd was far from normal.

But I mustn't get into that now, for this is where the story begins, and it just wouldn't do to spoil the surprise so soon into the tale. For at that moment, the dog's sharp, intelligent eyes flicked to the bedroom on the second floor. Some speculate at what caused this dog to glance up so suddenly and unexpectedly, for it seemed nothing had moved inside. The soft, peaceful snores still continued uninterrupted. Even the snowy white owl was quiet in her cage. But something had caused this odd dog to look up in the direction of that room, and the dog seemed to tense as though in anticipation of something about to happen, most likely something horrible by the way it held itself so alert.

Nothing happened however. Everything was just the same, and the rain continued to pound incessantly down. But it seemed as though the dog could not be fooled. The dog never relaxed from his tense posture, never once backed down for the rest of the night. And as dawn began to show itself even through the still pounding rain, the dog still hadn't budged. It watched the window intently, not moving even when the woman in house Number Six - the house next door to the house he was watching - tried to shoo him away.

It was only when the face of a teenager with unruly dark hair and wearing a pair of round glasses was seen through the window that the dog relaxed its tense position, turned, and padded off through the still heavy rain.

* * *

Harry Potter opened his eyes slowly as he heard pans beginning to bang in the kitchen. He had been awake for quite a while now, perhaps half an hour at least, but still he was trying to hold onto the fragile thread of the memory of his dream. It had been a happy dream, something that had been very rare for him indeed all summer. Usually he would wake up sweating with a cry on the edge of his lips, a cry for the friend and brother he had lost.

But he would choke it back just in time, not wanting to wake up the Dursleys and incur their wrath. They probably didn't even notice that there was something seriously wrong with their nephew. They hardly gave him the time of day anyway, so why in the world would they notice the dead look in his eyes as he completed his normal, mundane tasks? Why would Petunia pause to see the guilt in Harry's eyes when she blamed him for overcooking the dinner? Why would Vernon stop to wonder why Harry wasn't retaliating at all when he told him to put his "freak books" away so that he didn't see them all summer? Why would Dudley ever think of why Harry never complained when he stole all of his food at every meal, and got even thinner than he already was?

Of course, Harry told himself as he sat up in bed, it wasn't like he was going completely without food. In truth, he hadn't felt hungry since June, but if he ever started to feel sick - more so than usual, anyway - or a bit lightheaded, he would take something out of his secret supply and force that down. It was certainly never enough to qualify as a full meal, but sometimes he would go a whole week with only a biscuit to keep him running.

In retrospect, he knew that this was wrong. It was never a good thing for him to eat less than the bare minimum. He was sure that once he got back to Hogwarts, Hermione would take one look at him and practically force-feed several servings of kidney pie into him before launching into a long explanation-slash-reprimand of why he should be eating a healthy and balanced diet. And then she would feel incredibly guilty and start apologizing that she wasn't thinking straight and after what happened in the Department of Mysteries, she could understand his lack of appetite. She wouldn't be pleased about it of course, but she would understand. And then before Hermione could berate herself any further, Ron would cut in with a comment made in an attempt to help lighten the mood. And it wouldn't work, not for any of them, but they would smile weakly and maybe then everything would be okay. Not perfect, but okay. Because they were all friends, and being with friends made one feel better, especially to Harry, who could count all of his real, close friends on one hand.

And then a thought struck him. Remus. Of course. He and Sirius had been best friends growing up. He had to be suffering at least as much as Harry had been the past couple of months, and still Harry hadn't really even given it much thought. Suddenly he felt like a horrible person. Who was he to be starving himself in sorrow when there was someone out there with more sorrows and troubles than him? Remus had only Harry left in connection with his former life, his happy life. Which wasn't to say that he had no other friends, but Harry was one of Remus' best friends' son, and the other Marauders were gone. Peter of course wasn't dead, but the friend that Remus had known in school was gone.

Harry suddenly just very much wanted to cry. Not only for his pain, but for everyone else's as well, because his pain just wasn't enough to merit this. He had to be feeling someone else's pain too, because he was sure that it was impossible for one person to feel so much loss and heartache. He resisted the urge however. Now was no time to start bawling like a baby. He wasn't sure if there ever would be a time that would be appropriate, and that was okay with him. He didn't like crying, he didn't like hurting. Dumbledore had said that it was good he was sad, that it was part of being human, but Harry disagreed. He wasn't going to cry. He remembered, right after Sirius had passed through that veil, that Remus had had to hold him back from trying to go to his friend. He dimly remembered screaming and shouting, and he could literally feel his heart ripping inside him. It stole his breath, that kind of pain, and later he had realized that his face was wet with the tears that he hadn't been able to control coming out of his eyes.

But then, all of it stopped. The cries, the shouts, the feeling of his heart splitting in two distinct pieces. There was only a dim echoing in his ears, a slight ringing like everything had gone suddenly and unexpectedly silent. Even after he realized that he couldn't kill or even harm Bellatrix, the dead feeling reigned over him. He had been angry briefly when talking with Dumbledore, but then after a single tear had trailed its way out of his eye and down his cheek, everything turned off. It was like his body shut down, blocking out anything else that might possibly try and harm him. He'd gone back with the Durselys to Privet Drive, and gone on with his life. Or, what could be called his life. He'd hardly noticed as one day blurred into the next, and the letters he got from friends he'd dropped into a growing pile on the floor beside his bed. He didn't want letters from friends - he only wanted to hear from Sirius.

Now, however, he had something new to focus on, and a bit of himself woke up as he knelt beside the bed to sift through the letters, looking for one from Remus. Surprisingly, he found several, so he took the most recent one and opened that one first.

_Harry -_

_I've been exchanging letters with Ron and Hermione, and we're all getting worried about you. Please talk to us. You may not want to hear this right now, but you need to talk to someone about this. We all miss you and your engaging smile. We will be meeting up in Diagon Alley for school supplies shopping on August 25th. Hope to see you there. If not, I know we'll see each other at school._

_Love,_  
_Remus_

_P.S. Know that I'm always here to talk, Harry._

Harry had no time to write a letter back however, as at that moment Petunia called up to get downstairs and make breakfast. He checked the calender in the hall as he walked by, and saw that it was August 21st already. He would have to wait four more days to see his friends. On one hand he was looking forward to it, but on the other he was dreading it. He would love to have people around him again who really cared about him, but that would also mean that they would he fussing over him and he didn't want that.

Looking down at his even thinner than usual form, he almost groaned aloud at the thought of what Mrs. Weasley was going to say.

As he passed the window over the stairs, he looked out and almost passed out in shock (and possibly also hunger and exhaustion). Walking down the street was a black German Shepherd. He bore such a remarking resemblance to Sirius in his Animagus form that for a second - a very brief second - Harry expected it to come trotting up to the house to greet him. But then reality caught up to him and he could see that this dog's fur was a much sleeker black, despite being soaked through in the rain, and Sirius was definitely thinner.

_Get a grip on yourself, Harry. You need to accept that he's gone._

* * *

_Lupin -_

_I got your letters - sorry I haven't had a chance to write back. The Dursleys have been keeping me very busy around the house. I'm okay, though. I would love to meet up with you guys in Diagon Alley - I suppose I'll see you there!_

_- Harry_

Harry read through the letter to make sure that his sadness couldn't be picked up in the wording, and then after a moment he added:

_P.S. I'm here for you too, Remus._

* * *

A minute later, Hedwig had flown off with the letter to Lupin firmly in her grasp. Harry stared after her silhouette against the moon for a moment before sighing and pulling off his shirt. Dressed in only his pajama pants, he climbed into bed, pulling the covers over him as thoughts of dogs and veils and laughter filled his head.

_I miss you, Sirius. _

Just as Harry was about to drop off to sleep, however, he heard a faint scratching noise, like an animal's toenails clicking against a wood floor. His eyes snapped open and he sat up, but he didn't see anything unusual in his room. It was just the same as before.

He realized that it must have been the wind blowing through the open window, and got up to close it. Hedwig surely wouldn't be back till morning – it wasn't like he was locking her out. He pulled the curtains in front of the window, shrouding the room in darkness as he made his way back over to his bed.

Less than five minutes later, Harry was drifting off again. It was only when the dog in the room heard Harry beginning to snore softly that he padded over to the bed, hopped up, and curled up just enough that he wasn't quite touching the teenager. Placing his chin on his paws, the dog closed his eyes and soon joined Harry's soft snores.

* * *

**So...anyone curious to know what's up? If you don't know who the dog is, I am ashamed to be a human being. But really - just to clarify, YES - the dog is in fact Sirius. You'll just have to guess how and why he's there! ;p (I'm sure some of you can figure it out...) Please leave me a review - let me know if I should continue!**


	2. Rescue

**Tehehe…sorry guys, but I just think that it's SO. FUNNY. when people make guesses about what's happened, and then start talking about it like that's for sure what happened. Sorry guys, but Sirius didn't come back from the veil, he's not de-aged, he still really did die. Don't get me wrong – I love that you're trying to figure it out…it's just very amusing when I see that I'm keeping you guys guessing!**

**Anyhoo, hope you enjoy the chapter! (...even though it doesn't really answer any more questions…;p)**

* * *

Harry had a plan to get to Diagon Alley on Saturday. He thought he was doing rather well with his plan, but then it wasn't particularly advanced enough to make him feel proud of it. It was just something he was going to do to see his friends.

His plan was this: ask Uncle Vernon.

It was a fairly simply plan in theory, but the tricky part was getting his uncle at a time when he was in a well enough mood that he might say yes.

Yeah, Harry snorted. So tricky. Then he sighed. He just didn't feel up to much of anything. He kept seeing that dog around, and as much as he didn't believe Sybil Trelawney, he was starting to think it was the Grim that he kept seeing. Was it a warning not to go back to Hogwarts? Of course, he still would, but still. If he was going to be meeting certain death there, he'd prefer to at least write himself eulogy first. And possibly a will.

Wait – what did he have that he could _actually _give people that would be worth something? Colin Creevey would definitely want something, possibly even something as ridiculous as…say, his glasses. Actually, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that it was true. There was of course, his Firebolt, which he was sure Ron would love…oh yes, and his Invisibility Cloak – he could give that to the twins. Surely they'd love playing pranks with it. With them having left Hogwarts however, they would have to play their pranks somewhere else. And what about Hermione? And Neville? He couldn't leave them with nothing.

Harry shook himself. Why was he even thinking about this? He wasn't going to die. It wasn't a Grim that he'd seen – it was just some stray mutt walking about the neighborhood. It had no connection to him.

Of course, he'd had a dream that it had curled up next to him and gone to sleep, but of course that was just a dream. It couldn't have been real. But didn't the Hogwarts crest say "Never tickle a sleeping dragon"? There was a metaphor in there somewhere; Harry was sure of it. It had to connect to his situation somehow.

He was brought out of his musings on Friday afternoon by a sharp knock on the door. He ignored it, lying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling, until Aunt Petunia finally shouted after the third knock for him to answer the door. He sighed and went downstairs, opening the door disinterestedly.

He was shocked to see the man on the porch. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to hug the man or push him away, thinking of one of the last times he'd seen him, down in the Department of Mysteries.

But Lupin solved that problem for him, stepping forward and enclosing Harry in a tight hug. After a moment, Harry hugged him back, and was surprised to feel a small warmth in his chest, a feeling that he hadn't felt all summer.

"Harry," Lupin breathed, pulling back, and Harry was surprised to see that his eyes were also glistening with unshed tears. Then Harry looked past him and saw Hermione and Ron on the porch.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, and rushed forward to hug him. He hugged her back awkwardly, not quite knowing how to respond to the emotions surrounding him.

"Hey, Hermione," he said as she pulled back. Ron didn't hug him, seeing how awkward he felt and also uncomfortable with the thought himself, so he settled for giving Harry an understanding smile.

"Guys," Harry started, "What are you…I mean, how did you…why…?"

But he never got to finish this awkward line of questions, as Aunt Petunia chose that moment to shove herself in front of Harry.

"You go back upstairs, boy, and don't – "

She broke off suddenly when she saw the three visitors, and realized who they were. Her mouth tightened into a stern line, but she didn't say anything to Harry.

"What are you three doing here?" she practically hissed. "You've made quite clear – "

"Pardon me, ma'am," Lupin said, not looking the least bit sorry that he'd interrupted her, but continuing past her horrified expression. "We came to take Harry, if that's alright with you?" But he didn't say it like it was a question – he said it more like it was a demand.

"And why was I not informed of this?" she demanded, rounding on Harry. "You let these…these _freaks _come to my doorstep without even the _courtesy _– "

"Hey!" Ron protested, but his exclamation was lost in Hermione's angry, quiet words.

"You speak to Harry like that again and I swear by Merlin, you'll be hexed into the next century!"

Harry felt very embarrassed at that moment, and shifted uncomfortably under their stares. And if it couldn't get any worse, Uncle Vernon chose that very moment to come in.

"Who's at the door, Petunia?" When he caught sight of the wizards and witch standing there, his round face purpled with anger and he stalked toward Harry.

"I warned you, boy," he hissed. "You're not to bring these…these _freaks _to the neighborhood where _anyone_ could see – _especially _to our house!"

"Now look here," Lupin cut in. "We've not heard from Harry all summer, and we warned you at King's Cross what would happen – "

"Professor," Harry said quietly, "They didn't stop me from doing anything."

"That's nonsense, Harry, and you know it!" Hermione protested. "I've sent you so many letters and I never got one back, so _obviously_ – "

"Hermione," Ron interrupted, seeing the look on Harry's face. Then he turned to Professor Lupin. "Maybe we should just get Harry and go. Not like they'll be too upset about that, anyway." He shot a glare to the Dursleys before turning to Harry. "Come on, mate – let's go get your stuff."

"Nuh-uh," Uncle Vernon said, stepping in the boys' path. "I'll not have the likes of you tainting my nice home with your…your…"

"Magic," Ron said helpfully, and Uncle Vernon's face paled before going red again. But it paled again when he saw that Ron had pulled out his wand and was now pointing it at him.

"And yes – you _will _be letting me inside, or…" At that moment Dudley walked in to see what all of the commotion was about. He had a large bowl of ice cream in his hand, but he stopped eating the moment he saw the familiar-looking red hair. He hadn't forgotten what had happened two years ago when a certain pair of red-headed twins had tricked him into eating the horrible Ton-Tongue Taffy, and ever since then he'd hated redheads. He swore that they had no souls, doing something so horrible to him. **(Sorry – couldn't resist. ;P)**

Ron saw Dudley and the way his face paled, and a grin flitted across his face, transforming into a smirk as he pointed the wand at him. "…Or Dudley will be getting another tail. Won't be so easy to remove this time, either."

Harry seriously doubted Ron could or would hex Dudley without accidentally hexing himself into something much worse, but the threat was more than enough for the Dursleys.

A minute later, as Ron helped Harry toss his stuff into his trunk, Harry said quietly, "Why did you guys come?"

Ron gave him a surprised look. "You haven't responded to any of our letters," he said with a clear _duh _in his voice. "We thought the Muggles might not be letting you write back." Then he shrugged, and his voice became a bit accusatory. "But, now that I've seen you, I know that it was your _own_ choice not to write back. Still though, you should come to Diagon Alley _with _us, rather than just meeting us there. You can sleep at the Burrow tonight, and then we can Floo in the morning."

"Thanks," Harry said with a small smile. Then his brow furrowed. "Didn't Professor Lupin get my letter? I wrote to him on Tuesday."

Ron's face suddenly became speculative. "I'll bet he did get it, then. That must've been why he was so anxious to get going to come and get you." Seeing Harry's look, he added, "Even in writing, you wear your heart on your sleeve, Harry. It's pretty obvious when you're upset."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Harry went back to packing, studiously looking away from Ron.

Ron stared at his best friend for a few moments before he said, "You know, it's normal. You don't have to pretend with me."

"Who says I'm pretending?" Harry said, seemingly very intent on getting all of the wrinkles out of a school robe he'd just folded.

Ron sighed. "You're grieving – I understand that – but you can't just shut it all out. It's not healthy, and it doesn't solve anyth—"

"I'm not in the mood to have this conversation, Ron," Harry said tightly, forcefully putting the school robe in the trunk.

"Harry – "

Harry slammed the trunk closed and said in an angry voice, "Just drop it, okay?" He still didn't look at Ron.

Ron stared at his friend for another moment before nodding and turning to get Hedwig's cage.

"Ready to go, then?" he said in a falsely cheerful voice.

Harry was about to respond when a dark shape caught his eye outside. He glanced out the window, checking to be sure, and saw that black dog again, trotting in front of the house. In a moment, it had passed from his view.

"Harry?" Ron's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Harry managed to give him a smile just as fake as Ron's cheerfulness. "Yep. C'mon, before Uncle Vernon explodes."

* * *

**Do you think I deserve a review? 'Cause I do...:)**


	3. Diagon Alley

Harry felt dizzy as he landed in the kitchen at the Burrow. He steadied himself however, and mentally cursed portkeys. However convenient they were, he never liked the unpleasant feeling accompanying it, during and afterwards. The feeling quickly subsided however; right in time too, because Mrs. Weasley was upon him in a moment.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, waddling over to him and pulling him into a tight, motherly embrace. "Oh, it is _so_ good to see you! I was starting to get worried after not receiving any word from you, so I told Remus here – "

"Don't smother the boy, Molly," Remus admonished gently, pulling him away from the woman. "He's only just arrived."

Molly nodded almost absentmindedly, but she did as told, something that momentarily surprised Harry. As long as he'd known her, she was the one who _took _charge, the one everyone feared and loved. But then she continued speaking, saying, "Fred and George will take your things upstairs…but where's Hedwig?"

"She was delivering a letter – I haven't seen her since." Harry told her honestly, mentally shoving his musings aside.

Molly's eyebrows shot up, and then went back down again in a mild glare. "So you _were _sending letters!" she said in an accusing voice. "Well, why didn't one ever show up here? We've all been worried sick, Harry!"

"I didn't send any before that one," Harry told her, beginning to feel guilty. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley – I was just...I didn't…"

As he fumbled for words, Mrs. Weasley's expression softened in understanding and she patted his hand. "That's quite all right, Harry dear. I'm just so glad to see you again!" she quickly pulled him into another hug, most likely to also hide the tears rising in her eyes.

"Okay, Mum," Ron told her, gently pulling Harry away. "I'll show Harry to his room – we'll be back down later."

Harry had to resist the urge to sigh with relief once they got upstairs, and the three of them were alone.

"So, what's up?" Hermione asked after Ron's bedroom door had been closed. "What's happened to you all summer?"

Harry shrugged, feigning a devil-may-care attitude. "Nothing much. I've been busy. How about you guys?"

Hermione looked at Ron, but Ron simply said, "Not much. Mum's been keeping us busy around the house and in the garden all summer. I swear, I've been able to squeeze in maybe five games of Quidditch all summer!"

The complaints about normal, mundane things seemed to be the clue to Hermione, and she went with it, starting an argument with Ron. It was normal, something they always did, and while normally Harry was annoyed with it, right then he found it strangely comforting. It was like while the rest of his life was falling apart, that was the thing that remained normal, and that was the shred that kept him together.

* * *

Diagon Alley was crowded, per usual, with parents and children going for last-minute school supplies and such. Lupin glanced around before saying, "Hm…maybe we should've gone a bit sooner…"

"It's fine," Hermione assured him. "At least it's not as bad as Black Friday."

Ron, Lupin, and Ginny only looked at her blankly, Harry being the only one who understood what she was talking about. With a small sigh she said, "It's what Muggles do the day after Thanksgiving – they have all of these sales for Christmas and people fight and…oh, never mind. Let's just go."

"I think it would be best if we split up," Ron suggested, looking at the list. "Otherwise we'll never get out of here with everything."

"Alright," Hermione agreed. "I'll go with Professor Lupin to Flourish & Blotts – "

Ron cut her off quickly. "_Oh_, no! You two go in there and we'll never get out at _all_!" Hermione stuck her tongue out at him while Lupin looked on with amusement.

"Alright, then," Harry said quickly before it could escalate into an argument. "How about we go to Gringotts first, and then Professor Lupin, Ron and I go to Flourish & Blotts to get the books while Hermione and Ginny go to the Apothecary for our potion supplies, then we can all meet up at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour when we're done."

"I need to go to Madam Malkin's to get a couple more robes," Ginny reminded him. "Mine tore last year."

"How did—?" Ron cut himself off when he remembered – Ginny hadn't torn her robes – one of them had been burnt in the fight in the Department of Mysteries. Ginny had been a bit more discreet about it though, not wanting to bring up Sirius' painful memory in front of not only Harry, but Professor Lupin as well.

Everyone pretended they hadn't noticed Ron's slip-up as Harry added Madam Malkin's to the list of where the girls would go before meeting up. After they had made their plans, they set off for the bank.

* * *

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour was quiet, especially compared to the rest of Diagon Alley. Florean Fortescue himself seemed rather nervous, as though he expected someone to come and attack the shop at any moment. It didn't seem to be as cheerful as it had been three years previous, when Harry hadn't yet known Sirius Black. He almost choked on his ice cream at the realization. He'd known Sirius for less than two years, and he'd been ripped from him so suddenly. It had felt like he'd known Sirius all his life for how close he'd been, how much of a father-figure he'd been to him. How would it have been to know him for so much longer?

Harry looked at Professor Lupin, who was chatting with Hermione, looking quite at ease. But he could see the bags under his eyes and the new wrinkles on his face, and knew that he was putting on a show, much like he himself was. Granted, the professor was much better at it than him, but still…

Professor Lupin. He'd met him before he'd met Sirius, and even as Lupin had tried to get him to call him Remus – he wasn't his teacher anymore, after all – it had been too odd for Harry to do. Then he thought about it – he had called his godfather by his first name, but that was different of course. He was his godfather, not his professor. But, then again, Lupin was also one of his father's best friends, and no longer his professor. Perhaps that was why he wanted to simply be called Remus. He wanted to be closer to Harry, much like Sirius had been. Harry felt suddenly guilty at the thought. He hadn't intended for it to be like he was pushing the other man away by calling him "Professor" – it was just odd to do, after him being his teacher. But that was it, wasn't it? By calling him Professor, he was thinking of his father's best friend as nothing more than that – a teacher he'd once had. But if he called him Remus…

Harry took a determined lick on his cone as he made a resolution to himself. He would get over the oddity of calling the Professor anything else besides that, and he would call him Remus. After all, Prof – _Remus_ – was really the last father-figure he had. He wanted the man to know how much he meant to him.

* * *

The dog sat in the shade, resting his chin on his paws. The group he had been following had left Diagon Alley about a half hour previous, and the dog had settled down to take a rest.

Of course – why hadn't he thought about it? They were going to Hogwarts, of course – they were still kids. But how in the world could he…

Suddenly the dog stood up and trotted over to one of the alleys, coming up with a brilliant idea. He didn't know how it couldn't have occurred to him before. He felt enormously stupid, missing so many things in so little time. Usually he thought of everything.

Well, that wasn't completely true, but that was beside the point.

After taking a surreptitious glance around, the dog transformed to his human form. Black hair fell carelessly over his eyes, a bit greasy after having been in dog form for so long and not taking a shower or bath. Brown eyes were alight with mischief and a tinge of worry. He stretched and looked down at his clothes. They were a bit dirty, but a quick spell could change that. He could still feel his wand in his pocket.

As he walked out of the alley, he felt a small knot forming in his stomach. He wasn't completely sure what it was at first, but then he recognized it as nervousness. He'd hardly ever felt that feeling before, and it wasn't an altogether pleasant one.

_Cool it, Black, _he thought to himself. _You're just a sixteen-year-old kid. It's not like anyone will through you in Azkaban for this. _

With this thought, he straightened up, and stepped confidently out into the crowd of people. He could feel their eagerness, and some began to grow on him as well.

_After all, _he thought as he stopped in front of the Apothecary, _Who doesn't love the beginning of a Hogwarts school year?_

* * *

**So...do you think this chapter merits a review? 'Cause I do. I think this deserves a HUNDRED reviews. **

**haha, jk. but...****_siriusly_****...the reviews are sorely lacking for this fic. I would love to open my inbox and see lots of reviews from y'all! You know you want to...;p**


	4. Where the hell am I?

Harry couldn't help but smile as he walked into the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast. He was always happy to return to Hogwarts, and not even others' stares and whispers could get to him in that moment.

He knew of course that people would whisper and talk about him behind his back, after Minister Fudge finally admitting that Lord Voldemort was back. He was still bothered by it, and had reacted a bit peevishly to the _Daily Prophet_'s articles of people who had believed him all along, when they had in fact been the ones pushing for "the Boy-Who-Lied" during the past year. His classmates were no different than the reporters – many had believed the lies as well, and now were straining to catch a glimpse of him as he sat down next to Ron and Seamus.

He didn't listen too much to the Sorting Hat's song, staring around the hall. Something seemed different to him, he was sure of it – he just couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

There was of course, a new professor – Professor Slughorn, who would be teaching Potions while Professor Snape would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had called out in protest, but thankfully few people heard him. For a brief moment, Harry wondered if Dumbledore had lost his mind in giving Snape the job he'd been craving for years, but then he pushed the thought back down, feeling guilty that he'd even thought it. He'd have to accept this news, one way or another – it wasn't likely to change, especially not any time soon.

As they ate, Harry's eyes wandered down the table and he caught sight of the back of a boy who he could've sworn was Sirius from the back. But then the boy turned his face, and Harry mentally slapped himself when he realized that although the boy _looked _familiar, he was still just that – a boy. He wasn't his Godfather.

Then the boy looked at Harry, and something flashed in the boy's eyes – and Harry realized it was recognition. Harry's eyes dropped immediately back down to his plate as he fought the urge to scowl. He'd never seen the boy before, but it was clear that although the boy was new, he recognized _him. _He was another one of _those _people, one who didn't _really _care.

He felt someone else's gaze on him, and he instinctively looked up at the teacher's table, and saw Professor Dumbledore looking at them with a peculiar stare.

* * *

Harry sighed as he walked ahead of the rest of the group to the Gryffindor Tower. He walked alone, in his own thoughts. He knew that if he thought too much, he would probably break down – it had happened once or twice over the summer, when he hadn't enough chores to do. But he didn't think he'd be alone too much longer – someone would catch up to him and start talking about what had happened at the end of last year, and then Harry would be pulled from his painful thoughts.

But just now…

Harry pulled a wrinkled photograph from his pocket and stared at it. It was the last picture he had of Sirius – one he hadn't known had been kept until Pr-_Remus_ had given it to him a couple of days after…after Sirius had died.

It was the two of them – Harry and Sirius. They were sitting in one of the rooms in Grimmauld Place, just talking. Harry in the picture laughed at something Sirius had said and shoved lightly on his shoulder. Sirius just stuck his tongue out and then grinned. Then they looked up at the camera, realizing that it was there, and while Harry looked exasperated, Sirius only looked amused.

Harry shoved the picture back in his pocket as someone came up alongside him. He saw that it was the same boy as before, the one he'd almost thought was Sirius.

"Hello!" the boy said, and stuck out his hand. "I'm Sky."

"I don't remember asking," Harry said moodily, but he shook the hand anyway, not wanting to be too rude. He already felt bad for his comment, but the other teen didn't seem to mind.

"I just started here," Sky said conversationally. "Professor Dumbledore told me that I would be in the same dorm as you, since there was apparently already an extra bed. What's your name?"

"Harry," Harry muttered, vaguely wondering when the last time he introduced himself was. Nowadays everyone seemed to know him. It had been that way for years, and it seemed odd that he was introducing himself again after so long. He didn't think he'd done that since first year…

"It took forever to convince my aunt to let me come to Hogwarts," the other teen said. "I've been homeschooled see, and last time I went out really anywhere with so many wizards around was the World Cup two years ago!"

"That must've convinced her it was safe to come out, didn't it?" Harry said sarcastically, not really caring.

Harry missed the confusion that crossed over Sky's face, but Sky had caught the sarcasm so he said gloomily, "Yeah, she didn't want me going out after that. Not that I blame her, really…but it's just so _boring _at home! Plus, if I prank my aunt, she takes away my broomstick, but at a school with so many students…" he grinned. "No one can prove it was me, can they?"

Harry was growing annoyed as more students began to surround them. "Okay, Sky," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "Can we just…talk later? I have to…go." Without waiting for another response, he jogged ahead toward the dorms.

* * *

"Sky" lied in bed that night, unable to sleep. He tapped his fingertips together, trying to keep himself from jumping up and pacing the room. He looked over to Harry's bed halfway across the room and saw that the curtains around his bed were closed.

_Not too happy a kid, is he? _He mused, staring back up at the ceiling. _Wonder why that is…_

* * *

_"Come on, Padfoot – just open it!"_

_Sirius looked at his best friend with a grin and teasingly peeled the tape away from the wrapping paper as slowly as he could._

_"Come on, Sirius!" Even Moony was pleading for him to hurry up. Peter didn't even say anything, but the excitement was clearly visible as he bounced in his seat with an eager expression on his face._

_"It's so tiny!" he observed, pausing in opening it for a moment. He looked at his three best friends seriously. "If this is a Dungbomb, so help me, Merlin – "_

_"It's not!" James protested. "Just open the damn thing and you'll see it!"_

_"Hey boys – " Mrs. Potter poked her head in and cut herself off as James suddenly stood up, blocking her view of Sirius._

_"Hey, Mum!" he said cheerfully, and though he seemed at ease, she'd seen enough of her son's pranks he'd gotten into with his three best friends that she could tell that something was off. Something about his eyes was nervous…_

_"What's up?" he asked, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops._

_Mrs. Potter narrowed her eyes at them – gaze darting from James' not-so-innocent air, to Peter's obviously guilty-looking face, to Remus' nervous hand-wringing, and lastly on Sirius' confused and mildly surprised expression._

_A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth as her brain connected the dots. They were surely pranking Sirius, and they didn't want her to know about it. Well, it was about time they pranked one of their own besides Peter. And Sirius definitely deserved it, after his failed prank that ended in broken dishes in the __**bathroom**__, of all places. She still wasn't quite sure what had happened there, but Sirius definitely needed something that would teach him a lesson or two. And James was definitely the best at coming up with a prank._

_"Mum?" James questioned after a beat too long of silence._

_But she only smiled at him and leaned forward to whisper, "Just make sure there's no evidence, and no one gets sent to St. Mungo's." Then she turned and closed the door behind her._

_"Okay, what was that about?" Sirius asked after the door had closed and James had put up walls of Muffliato around the room._

_Remus tossed the present back to his lap and said, "Well, you see, Padfoot…your present isn't exactly legal, and I don't think James' mum…well, just open it."_

_But at the words "isn't exactly legal", Sirius had already begun ripping the tape and wrapping away from the small, ring box-sized cube._

_Soon he stared down at a magnificent golden necklace with three circles surrounding what looked to be an hourglass. It didn't seem to be terribly special in any way – just a neat little trinket._

_He stared disbelievingly up at his three friends, who looked at him with expectant expressions._

_"Well?" James pressed, practically hopping. "Do you like it?"_

_"You got me a __**necklace**__," Sirius pointed out. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a __**guy**__ – and I'm perfectly straight, too, so why in __**Merlin's**__ name – "_

_Remus cut him off with an exasperated sigh and went over to Sirius, grabbing the necklace from him._

_"Look," he said, pointing at the inscription around the necklace. Sirius squinted at it and read it out loud._

**_"I mark the hours, every one, nor have I yet outrun the Sun. My use and value, unto you, are gauged by what you have to do."_**

_He looked back up at them. "So? What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"It's a time-turner!" Peter burst out excitedly._

_James nodded eagerly. "It can help us _so _much with pranks, too!" he exclaimed. "I mean, who can be two places at once! No one…unless you have a time-turner!"_

_"You can't be seen by yourself though," Remus said with a serious expression, though there was still an excited gleam in his eyes. "Otherwise your past self could go crazy, think you're hallucinating and lose your mind. You have to have extreme caution when – "_

_"Oh, don't be a spoilsport, Moony!" Peter interjected, then turned to Sirius. "We filched it from McGonagell's office at the end of last year."_

_"We don't even know why she had it," James said with a shrug. "Technically, they're totally illegal…"_

_"…Which is all the more reason to use it!" Sirius interrupted, slipping the necklace on over his neck. He looked back down at the necklace, staring at it in a new light. The things they could do with this were inconceivable._

_"We can't let anyone find out, though," Peter said as Sirius began turning the circles around to inspect it better. "Otherwise we'll probably be locked up in Azkaban for the rest of our lives." He shivered at the thought._

_"Sirius, no!" Remus suddenly exclaimed as he looked up and saw Sirius turning the spindles. Sirius looked up at him, startled for the briefest of moments before he faded from their view._

_Sirius meanwhile, watched as everything suddenly sped up around him. He felt nauseous at the sight and closed his eyes with a sick feeling in his gut. He felt like his entire insides were being jerked around in different directions, when suddenly, a loud whooshing sound filled his ears, and he felt like he had been dropped from a great height._

_He opened his eyes and steadied his feet before glancing around, trying to figure out where he was. He felt disoriented, to say the least, especially when he saw he was on a modest street that seemed to house Muggles._

**_Yep,_** _he thought, glancing at a sign that said _Privet Drive _in white letters. __**Definitely not at James' house anymore. In fact…where the hell am I?**_

* * *

**Well…I'm sure some of you suspected that, even if you didn't review and say so. (Shame on you!) But for the rest of you…surprise! ;p He's not a ghost, he didn't have a kid, he wasn't spit out of the Veil…AGAIN…just a simple case of more time-turning…**

**Only problem is, he doesn't know anything that's happened to him or the rest of the Wizarding world since he was sixteen. What will happen now? Haha! Please give me a guess! Even if some of them are not at all what I was thinking of, I may add something after your review gives me inspiration!**


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